Video 2 of 3 - Final coat & Sharp edges (freehand). Same cake as before, but onto the next steps in this coconut lime cake series. Because this is a lime buttercream made with real fruit, you can see the zest & it does create a little less smooth surface than other flavors would. Just don't sweat that, it will still be beautiful.
• First, remember I said that temperature is everything. I started here with a chilled crumb coat. • Then pipe on the final layer of buttercream being sure to pipe extra around the top, taller than the cake. Smooth out the sides a bit with your uneven spatula. • Using a cake scraper or your favorite clean straight edged tool with a right angled bottom edge, match the bottom edge down against the larger cake board (for your guide), & get the straight edge along the cake to angle toward you so you aren't pointing it straight at the cake. This will give a softer scrape so you aren't scraping too much frosting away. You'll want to scrape gently & evenly, not aggressively. I like to use the bear hug start to get a good angle on the scraper, but to also overlap your second hand from the other side so that you can do one even pull/scrape around the entire cake without meeting back up with the second hand. If you don't have a good overlap you are likely to run into your second hand before you have finished the scrape & create a fumbled finish. You will likely need multiple scrapes like this. The first time or two will show you where more buttercream is needed (air gaps in the smooth surface). You can also evaluate your angles up & down for how you are doing on your scraper hold. Clean your scraper between scrapes.
• You see me lift the cake in the video, this is where I chilled it again in the freezer. Temperature is everything & I want it well chilled & set at this point. • Use a sharp pairing knife warmed in a cup of very hot water, & quickly dried on paper towels to cut the extra frosting off the top of your cake. This is where your sharp edges come from. Rewarm your blade often. I set my arm against the side of my body & try to keep my cutting hand at the same spot/level as I turn the cake with the other hand.... continued in comments...